Tony Foster and Adam Thomas of the Dan Brubeck Trio perform while Claude Lapalme conducts the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra (RDSO) behind them during RDSO’s presentation of An Evening of Jazz at the Lake on Saturday.

Jazz returns to Sylvan Lake with unique outdoor collaboration

The soft sounds of jazz filled the air inside Centennial Park on Saturday night.

The soft sounds of jazz filled the air inside Centennial Park on Saturday night for the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra’s presentation of An Evening of Jazz at the Lake.

Dark skies throughout the afternoon cleared prior to the start of the evening performance, the setting sun providing a picturesque backdrop for the talent-filled stage.

On it, members of the Dan Brubeck Trio were joined by Sylvan Lake’s own Eric Allison and Cheryl Fisher — who intermittently provided vocals and horns, respectively — and backed by the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra.

The concert, a partnership between the symphony orchestra and the Jazz at the Lake Festival Society, marked a departure from the jazz festival setup that was previously held in town every year for more than a decade.

It also acted as the pinnacle of a three-part series held in the festival’s wake, with organizers noting previously that they had plans sit down at some point in the near future to discuss the festival’s future.

“We’ll have a board meeting sometime in the next few months and decide where we want to go and what we’re going to do for the coming years,” said Allison, who’s president of the Jazz at the Lake Festival Society.